Kingdom Hearts: Awakening
by Benkei Urahara
Summary: What happens when you put a Keyblade Master together with a time traveling girl trying to save her world darkness? Hilarity, drama, and destruction. This story follows Sora as he crash lands in Ylisse a month before the war with Walhart, near dead, only to be found by one Lucina. You can guess from there. SoraXLucina, RikuxKairi, one sided SoraxKairi. Also, I havent played KH 3D.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there guys! Benkei Urahara here with my long promised Kingdom Hearts fic! Jesus, it took me over a year to get this out there. Life has been hectic to say the least and I just got a new computer when my brother decided to break the screen! Thanks, Otouto! Anyway, onto the story! Also, you'll notice a few extra spaces here and there. Some of my files got a little messed up when I transfered them. So yeah.**

_**(Thinking)**_

Chapter 1: New World, New problems

Clang! The sound of steel on steel rang in the air as two warriors trained, filling the empty streets of Radiant Garden with long forgotten sounds of battle. Ex-Soldier Cloud Strife roared as he launched himself at his disciple, the soon-to-be Keyblade Master, Sora Alexandros. His mother, Garnet Alexandros and his hand to hand teacher, Tifa Lockhart, looked on from the side lines as Sora fought his teacher to finally be done with Cloud's rigorous training programs.

It had been almost a year since Sora had failed the Mark of Mastery. After he came home, disappointed, but determined, he asked his mom if she knew someone he could train with to get stronger. She told him his strength wasn't the problem, but he refused to listen. So Garnet conceded to her sons stubborn attitude, commenting on how much like his father he was becoming, and gave Sora an address and file number for a hospital in Radiant Garden. When Sora asked how this would help him, she just gave the same sad smile she had whenever she spoke of 'that man' and said, "Not only will you find a teacher, but you will find the answer you've been looking for." So, a confused Sora made his way to Radiant Garden, and found the hospital and file. What he found inside shocked him to the core. A birth certificate with his mothers maiden name and his fathers name.

Sora yelled as he was thrown back from the force of Cloud's massive Buster Blade. He wielded the Kingdom Key, finding it the easiest to use, but it unfortunately just couldn't hold up to Cloud's raw power. Sora slammed into a wall, shattering the stone with his body. His vision blurred for a second, but he could faintly see his superhuman teacher tear through the air at him. He took a deep breath and threw his body up, flipping over Cloud's head.

"Ya missed." he whispered as he jumped over the fighters head. A flash of light blinded the blond haired warrior as he pulled his sword from the wall. He looked and saw Sora standing over him on the wall with both Oathkeeper and Oblivion in his hands. Spinning the Keyblades over his head, a shower of sparks fell onto Cloud's head, which annoyed him a bit.

Sora launched himself at the swordsman, using Oathkeeper for the intial attack. The brightly colored Keyblade reverberated hard in his hand as he brought its darker counter part up, knocking the now unsheathed (as in the cloth was taken off) Buster Blade up. The younger fighters weapons began to glow as he activated his own version of the Omnislash. Cloud had extensively trained him in 'Limit Breaks', though Sora didn't really enjoy the training. But, this time, he was going to enjoy the pay off.

He activated the technique by locking the ends of the Keyblades together, turning them into a dual bladed glaive. He flashed by Cloud at blinding speed, striking him once, then again, and again as the Soldier fought to find his fleet-footed student. Three more strikes before Cloud could react, but thats when Sora messed it up.

Sora had the power and speed, but not the stamina. At the seventh strike, he slowed down. Not much, but enough for Cloud to counter, which he did by planting his foot firmly into Sora's stomach. The wind now knocked out of the poor boy, he gasped in a mix of pain and instinct as he tried to pull air into his lungs. But, fate is cruel and so was his teacher. Cloud brought the blunt edge of his sword down on the doubled over teens back, slamming him into the ground almost ten feet below, and effectively ending his chances of leaving the training program.

"Sora!" Garnet yelled as she started to move foreward, but a strong hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned to see Tifa smiling at her. She nodded to the crater and Garnet turned to see what she was gesturing to. They both turned to see Sora pulling himself out of the crater, using Oblivion as a crutch until Cloud appeared next to the crater and offered his student a silent hand.

Sora smiled and took it, phasing his weapons out of existence as his teacher pulled him out of the hole. "Am I ever gonna beat you?" The Keyblade wielder asked, putting his arms behind his head as he normally did.

"One day, but not today." Cloud said, a ghost of a smile on his face. Even after all they had been through, all he had taught Sora, the only person he would open up to was still his girlfriend, Tifa, who was currently giving the very sore Keyblade wielder a 'you did okay' backslap, which, for Tifa, equated to getting punched in the back by Riku. Sora tried to tell her to quit it, but instead got knocked off his feet by the third smack, face planting into the ground. "Huh. He used to fall over after the first. I'd say he's made good progress. What about you?" the blonde swordsman looked at the women around them.

Garnet was picking Sora up off the ground while Tifa just giggled. "I'd say so. It's kinda nice to see how far he's come isn't it, Cloud?" the martial artist said, laughter still apparent in her voice. Cloud just grunted and re-wrapped the Buster Blade, attaching it to the magnets on his back. Tifa giggled again. "You care about him. You know you do." Cloud just scoffed and walked over to Fenrir, looking at Tifa as she giggled again, hopping on the back of the bike and wrapping her arms around him.

Garnet was brushing Sora down, fixing his clothes and his hair. Sora just sighed and let his mother fuss over him.. He knew arguing would get him nowhere with her. She was more stubborn than Kairi. _**Kairi... **_ Sora shook his head hard, trying to dislodge that train of thought_**. Stop it, Sora. She made her choice and she chose Riku. It's been almost a year now. Be happy for them, dammit!**_ He felt something flick his forehead and looked to see his mother reaching up, her fingers about level with his forehead.

"I can practically see the steam coming out you ears Sora. What's wrong, baby?" Garnet asked, concern written on her face. Sora remained silent for a moment, avoiding her gaze. She sighed and cupped his cheeks in one hand and pulled his face back to look at her, locking him in with deep brown eyes. After a few seconds, she smiled slightly. "Still thinking about Kairi, huh?" she said, making it more of a statement than a question. Sora just absently nodded. He hated how easily she could read him.

Garnet was a beautiful woman, actually seeming to be about Sora's age as well as being almost a full foot shorter than him. Her dark brown hair reached almost to the ground, the end kept in a tail. To be honest, from the pictures he had seen of her and her friends from when she was 16, she looked almost exactly the same as she did back then except that her hair was turning gray at the roots.

They were torn out of their thoughts when they heard Fenrir roar to life, Cloud pulling up next to them. "Be here early tomorrow. We'll be doing double time all day, so get some rest." Tifa laughed as Sora's face turned to one of horror. Before Sora could say anything though, Cloud tore up the lane, Tifa still laughing.

Sora's eye twitched as he picked up a rock and threw it at the wall, only for it to bounce back and hit him in the forehead. "Gahhh, damn it!" He got another smack, this time from his mother's summoner racket as a warning about his swearing. He wasn't eighteen yet, so her rule of 'no swearing around Mom' was still in effect.

Sora was absently rubbing his head when he heard the familiar sound of thrusters above both looked up to see the Typhoon, Riku's gummy ship, coming in for a landing not too far from where they were ground shook as the large ship landed a few yards from them. A few seconds of waiting and a pneumatic hiss later, Kairi came running out, her long, red hair flaring out behind her. "Sora!" she cried, smiling happily as she hugged him and he hugged her in return, albeit with a bit of hesitation that didn't go unnoticed. Kairi pulled back, a worried expression on her face. "What's up?" she asked.

Sora just smiled that cocky smile of his. "Cloud gave me a pretty good beating today and I'm kinda sore." he lied. Kairi didn't look convinced, but didn't push it either, just hugging him more gently. Riku chuckled behind them and Sora joined him. He let go of Kairi and walked over to his silver haired friend, high fiving him. "What's up, Riku? You look like you won the lottery."

"Better. But, I'll let Kairi tell you guys." Riku just smiled and looked at how beaten up Sora was."Maybe after your mom heals you up." As soon as the dark Keyblade Master said that, Sora felt the familiar warm feeling wash over him. He looked behind him and saw a green light emanating from his mom's hands. He took a deep breath to let the spell work it's magic as Kairi came around, taking Riku's hand, looking like she was fit to burst. She whispered something in Riku's ear and he nodded.

She squealed and looked at both Sora and Garnet, who were looking at her like she was crazy. "Okay, as you know, me and Riku have been going out for a while." she explained. Sora almost winced in pain at this, but nodded all the same.

"Well," Riku took over here, "I felt it was time we moved our relationship forward so..." He looked over at the excited red head.

"He asked me to marry him!" Kairi jumped up and down and Garnet squealed with her, jumping up and down with her sons friend. As for her son, it felt as if his whole world came crashing onto him. Riku looked at him strangely, walked over to him and pulled him away from the squealing women.

"Okay, what's up man?" Riku said once they were out of ear shot. He watched his oldest friends face for any sort of change.

Sora just gave him another fake smile. "Nothings wrong, Riku. I'm happy for you guys. Really." And he was. He just wasn't happy for himself. He stood almost the same height as his friend at this point, giving Riku an easy chance to see the heartbreak in Sora's eyes. He sighed and hugged Sora with one arm, which Sora returned. He was on the verge of tears, but he refused to ruin Kairi's happiness. Riku was one thing, but he wouldn't hurt Kairi.

"Look, I know this probably isn't the best time to ask you this, but I need a best man." Riku said pulling back from Sora, who just started laughing like he always had.

"Well if you're gonna twist my arm. I have one request though. Mind keeping this between us?" Riku just laughed with him, pulled him in for another hug and walked back over to the girls with his comrade in tow. They were talking pretty excitedly about something.

Garnet looked up and saw them coming back over and smiled brilliantly at her son. "Sora, Kairi wants my help to set up the wedding. Isn't that great?!" She yellled excitedly, almost making the males in attendance ears bleed.

"Mom, I think you just hit dolphin level shrieks there." Sora said, checking his ear with his finger as the older woman glared at him, pulling her racket out. He prepared for a hard whack as Riku stepped between them.

"Hold on, Ms. A. I kinda need my best man alive for the wedding." Garnets glare turned to an expression of pure happiness and excitement as she hugged the Keyblade user, lifting him off the ground with her impressive strength, gushing about how great his friends were and how good he'll look in a tux. He just gasped out that he couldn't breathe and she put him back down, laughing. After making sure he had no broken ribs, he put his arms behind his head, giving them his usual smile as they talked about the wedding plans. About five minutes into the conversation, Riku clapped a hand on Sora's shoulder. "So Sora, any ideas for my bachelor party?"

"Don't know. Is the wedding before or after my eighteenth birthday?" Sora said, smiling wider.

"Sora!" both women screamed, making the men cover their ears again.

After a few seconds of silence, Riku leaned over and whispered in Sora's ear." After, for that reason."

Almost immediately, Garnet's racket met his head as Kairi swung it. Riku ran screaming like a girl as his fiancee chased him with the weapon. Sora and Garnet laughed at them, then noticed how late it was.

"Hey, lovebirds, it's time to pack it in. Lets get home so I can put dinner on." Garnet said, pulling her racket out of the still running Kairi's hands. The two slammed on the brakes, Kairi running into Riku's back from the momentum, at the sound of Sora's mom cooking. It was widely believed that she was the best cook on Destiny Island, so they were going to jump at the chance to enjoy her cooking. As they started asking what she was going to make for dinner, they migrated to the ships.

Garnet stopped as she noticed the look on Sora's face.

She smiled and kissed his forehead, then turned and ran towards Riku and Kairi. "Wait up, you two! I'm riding back with you." Her answer was a pair of confused Keyblade users. "Sora filled the cabin with some serious poison gas on the way here." They both nodded, Riku laughed, and Kairi smacked him again as they stepped onto the Typhoon, the pneumatic door hissing closed behind them. Sora sighed as he watched his friends and mother lift off, making his way back to the Ultima. As he stepped into the ship, he hit the lights on the bridge, sitting in the captains chair before flipping the switch for the door. He went about the basic start-up for the ship in a daze, his mind and heart else where. _**Why didn't I just make a move when I had the chance? Am I really that dumb? **_The ship began to lift off. _**I must be. Why couldn't Riku have been the original?**_ Sora shook his head again as the ship left the atmosphere of the Radiant Garden. _**Quit it, Sora. Thoses kinds of thoughts are what made you transform into... that thing. **_

(Flashback)

Sora yelled as he felt his Keyblade make contact with another Heartless. _**How many was that? 239 I think. **_He looked out at the battlefield that had been Hollow Bastion, seeing the dark bodies of the Heartless swarming across the field. _**There's no end to them!**_ A small roar caught his attention as he swung The Rumbling Rose around to sever the head of a Sergeant Heartless. He watched as it faded out of existence, the small heart floating into the sky. He slammed the head of the Keyblade into the ground to support his weight as his legs started giving out_**. I can't keep this up much longer. Oh, if Riku were here this would be over by now. **_

Another swing, another destroyed Heartless. _**Dammit! Why did I have to be the Keyblade Master? I can't fight this kind of battle. If only Riku hadn't gone through the Gate of Darkness. Why would he just leave us like that? This wouldn't be happening if he hadn't been so dumb! **_Sora slashed at another Heartless, destroying it. But, this time it was different as the Heartless faded out of existence. A sharp pain ran up his spine as his anger at Riku peaked. _**This is his fault! None of this would've happened if it hadn't been for him!**_

Unbeknownst to him, a dark aura surrounded his body and as it did, Sora's mind became hateful and full of rage. The aura completely swallowed him as the Heartless overtook him. One moment, two moments, three moments passed, and nothing happened. The next moment, Heartless began flying into the cliff side and vanishing as a shadow covered Sora began slaughtering the Heartless.

Anti-Sora ripped through the hordes of Heartless in a matter of moments, leaving only a few behind.

**Sora...**

_**Huh?**_

**Sora... Come back... Sora...**

_**Who is that? Kairi? No that's not her voice. But... It's beautiful. Ooooh, my head.**_

The dark aura evaporated from around him, the Rumbling Rose reappearing in his hand. He stumbled a bit before gaining his full sight and balance back. The last few took the chance to throw themselves at him, but he had already recovered and easily defeated them. _**What happened to the others? Hm, shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, as mom says. The others might need my help. Gotta move!, **_he thought as he ran out of the canyon.

(Flashback End)

_**I have no one but myself to blame for that. I just have to keep training. Everything will work out in the end. **_He thought dimly as set the course of the ship and put it on autopilot. He leaned back and closed, hoping to catch a few minutes of sleep before landing. He'd only been asleep, according to the clock on the dash, for six minutes before the alarm started going off. He opened one eye and looked out the windshield, immediately waking up fully. _**Now that's a Heartless! **_

A massive Heartless the size of several of his ships floated in front of him, blocking Destiny Islands from view. Both its arms looked like black blades attached to its pure white upper body, its head looked like the helmet that the Sergeant Heartless wear, but with a pair of red and white horns growing out the top, its lower body the same pure white of its upper body and having four clawed toes on each foot and large red wings adorning its back.

It roared and lunged at the Ultima, missing its hull as Sora dodge rolled at the last second. The strike still connected as the on-board computer said that his right engines had been severely damaged. He ignored it and swung the ship around, firing the Masamune laser blades that sat on top of his ship. The lasers hit their mark, taking one of the monsters arms off. It roared in as it lunged at him again, this time ripping away the top layer of metal on the Ultima, the lasers and guidance system with it. He could get by without them and the hull wasn't damaged enough to warrant his full attention, so he turned to face it once more, but a second set of blasts began striking the Heartless.

A hailing frequency opened on his computer, greeting him with the smiling face of Riku. "Need some help, bud?" he said as he fired his Excalibur lasers and hail of smaller blasts onto the unfortunate Heartless while Garnet and Kairi screamed at him to kill it in the background. The Heartless lost one of its legs and half its other arm. It roared and vanished into a Corridor of Darkness. Sora and Riku whooped as they saw it vanish, the girls cheering just as loud. But their celebration was short lived. They hadn't noticed that the corridor didn't leave with its conjurer until a second corridor opened next to Sora.

"Sora, look out!" they screamed in unison as the Heartless soccer kicked Sora's ship towards the first corridor. The Keyblade user in question was slammed face first into the windshield, dazing him and blurring his vision as well throwing him out of the chair. He shook his head and saw darkness close around the ship. He swore and ran for the controls, pulling the ship straight up. His breathing was labored and he felt something warm trickling down his head, drops of red hitting the controls and the floor.

He looked around in the dark corridor, shutting one of his eyes as blood flowed down his face. Damn it, there's gotta be something here! He searched for an hour at least, his vision fading slowly with every moment he spent in the corridor. Out of the corner of his still open eye, he saw a small light. A portal! He steered the ship to it, shaking his head as a new darkness began to invade his line of sight. Stay awake, come on stay... He slapped himself hard. Stay awake, dammit! His body was beginning to feel heavier by the second, his vision fading fast. What little he could see, caught the fact that he had broken through the open portal, headed straight for the earth under it.

He was going to crash, there was nothing he could do about that, but he was at least going to minimize the damage. He yanked up as hard on the controls as he could, his foot slamming the button for the landing gear. He heard the landing gear extend, and that was it. He never heard the ship slam into the ground, or the hull practically being ripped apart, nor did he feel his body being thrown from the ship as it slammed into a tree. All he knew was the darkness surrounding him and that voice...

**Sora...**

**Whew, that was a doozy! So, follow and review, tell me if it sucked or if its downright flammable. Though, constructive critiscism is always welcome.**

**Sora: What the hell, man?! You made me sound like some emo dude.**

**I was trying to make you sound mature and heartbroken. Did I fail?**

**Sora: Well, no, but still, it's a bit OOC, don't you think?**

**Just like almost every fanfic ever?**

**Sora: ...**

**That's what I thought.**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey there! Benkei Urahara here! So here's chapter two of my Kingdom hearts fic. I've decided to do the story mainly from Sora's point of view. Why this is is simply because I know Sora's character much more than I do the female leads (You should know who that is without me having to say anything).

Sora: **Really, man? You're gonna try and play the secret character thing? **

Ben: Not much of a secret if they read the description, my key wielding friend.

Sora: **Fire! *A large fireball flies at Ben, engulfing him in flame***

Ben: *Runs around screaming, running off screen*

Sora: Benkei Urahara does not own Kingdom Hearts or Fire Emblem. All rights go to the respective owners.

Ben: *Runs by, still on fire and still screaming.* Onto the story!

**It's so dark**_**. **_Sora thought to himself as he wandered around. **I must be back in the Corridor of Darkness. That's all it could be. Wait… **

_**Hey…**_

_** You there?**_

_** Hey…**_

__**That voice. I know that voice. **Faint light began to flood his vision as his eyes opened, his mind finally feeling how heavy, weak, and sore his body was. An involuntary groan exited him as he felt a pair of hands on his chest, a familiar warm feeling washing over him. He opened his eyes halfway to see three people hanging over him, one a young woman with pigtails, another an older but rather effeminate looking man, both holding a staff, the ends of which were glowing a light green color. The third person over him was the one with her hands on his chest, like she was holding him down.

He couldn't see her face clearly through the glow of the staves and he was too sore to try and sit up, so he settled for an attempt at witty banter. "So… You guys here often?" he said, a weak smile spreading over his face.

The pigtail girl giggled as the man smiled down at him. "More often than I like to admit actually, my young friend. I am Libra, and this young woman is Lissa, and the quiet one holding you down is Lucina." Lissa waved excitedly at the confused young man as one of the gloved hands came up, waving at him before going back to his chest, careful not to put too much pressure on his ribs.

Sora groaned in pain all the same. "How… Where am I? What happened to my ship?" He looked to both his healers; hoping one of them would have the answer.

"You know, it's normally polite to give your name when someone introduces themselves." Lissa said, a very prominent pout on her face. Libra simply chuckled as he began to move the staff to other areas of the Keyblade wielders sore body. As the staff moved, the light still obscured Lucina's face from view, but it was easy to see even through the light of the staff the slight blush on Lissa's face. It took a moment and a cool breeze before Sora understood why.

He lifted his head a bit to see to his horror that he was completely naked in front of two young women and a man, none of which he knew. "Um, Libra? Why am I naked?!" he asked the healer.

Libra only laughed, Lucina answering the question for him. "Your injuries were severe. If they had tried to heal you with your clothing on, there'd be a chance it could permanently fused to your skin." She said matter-of-factly. Her voice sent an involuntary tingle up his spine, one that caused her to push down harder on his still healing ribs. "As for where you are and your… ship, you are in the Shepherd's encampment and your ship was destroyed after it hit the ground outside the encampment. I pulled you from the wreckage."

"Yes, yes, that's all well and good Luci, but we still don't know his name." Lissa said annoyed as she pulled her staff away, the warm feeling leaving Sora's body quickly.

"Oh sorry, Lissa. My name's…" He stopped short as Lucina's face finally came into view, the faint glow of early morning light lighting the tent. "… Wow." He remained gaping at her for a few seconds, a slight blush building on the pretty young woman's face. Lissa giggled, practically jumping up and down as she watched the two. Libra was enjoying the obvious embarrassment on Lucina's face as well, but he was merciful enough to end it by clearing his throat.

"You were saying?" he said to the young man.

"Hm?"

A small smile stretched across Lucina's face as the boy looked at the war monk in confusion. "You're name, child. What is your name?"

"Oh! Uh, my name's Sora. Sora Alexandros." He said, looking down as another cool breeze through the front of the tent. "Um, do you think I could get dressed by any chance?"

"Of course. The clothes you were wearing were badly damaged, so our tailors are fixing them. Chrom arranged for a new set of clothes be brought for you." The older offered the young warrior a hand up off the table. "I apologize for having two young women in here to see you in your… glory, but we are short-handed at the moment. Lissa and I are the only two healers in camp right now."

Sora gratefully took his hand, pulling himself into a slumped sitting position as the two women averted their eyes. "Um, I guess it's okay if that's what had to be done." Libra handed him a rather expensive looking set of travel clothes that were, from the feel and look, cotton and silk. "Wow, this Chrom guy must be loaded or something."

Lucina turned around almost immediately at hearing this. Lucky for her, Sora had pulled on his breeches first. "Chrom is not some guy. He is the leader of the Shepherds and of this country. You would do well to remember that." she said, turning and storming out of the tent.

Sora stared wide eyed at the entrance to the tent as it flapped. "Did… I say something I shouldn't of?" He looked at Lissa and Libra, waiting for an explanation to her outburst.

"Chrom can be a touchy subject for her, especially if someone doesn't give him the proper respect. What can you do, he's her father." Lissa said, keeping her back turned even though she probably knew Sora was half dressed.

"Her father? Wow, Chrom must be pretty old then. She's gotta be like 18."

"19 actually. And I'm not that old." said a young man in a sleeveless leather armor suit, a pinkish tattoo on his shoulder. He extended his hand for Sora. "I'm Chrom. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sora." Sora took his hand, shaking it briskly. Chrom smirked at him, looking up at Libra and Lissa. "How are you? Think you can stand?"

"Uh, yes sir, I think so." Sora placed his feet on cool dirt, lifting himself off the table very shakily. He started to fall forward, Chrom and Libra catching him. "Wow, a few hours on a table and I can't seem to walk right."

Chrom and Libra looked at him strangely, Lissa just giggling as she brought the boy some water. "Sora, you've been unconscious for three days. Lissa and Libra have been with you every hour of the day. You were very badly hurt, I mean, you had a hunk of metal through your chest."

Sora stared at Chrom incredulously as his hands went to his chest, noticing to large indentation on the right side. "It's a miracle only great Naga could perform. She has truly blessed you, my child." Libra said, washing his hands in a bucket of water.

"Naga? Who's that?" As soon as those words left his mouth, Sora regretted it. All people in attendance froze, staring at him like he was an alien. "Okay, now I know I said something I should of. What?"

Lissa started laughing loudly. "Come on, Sora! Even if you came here on that weird ship thing, you'd have to know who Naga is." When Sora shook his head, it was Chrom's turn to laugh at Lissa's expression. Before he actually said anything, a scream echoed through the camp. Lissa made a break for an axe in the corner, rushing out of the tent with an axe wielding Libra in tow. Sora stumbled for a moment as he tried heading for the exit, only to be stopped by a blade wielding Chrom.

"Sora, I like your enthusiasm, but you're in no shape to fight. Stay here."

"But I can fight! I can help! Please you guys saved my life, let me help!" Sora pleaded.

"You don't have a weapon. How can you fight?"

"I do too have a weapon!" Sora held his hand out, calling out the Keyblade. There was no light, no feeling of cool metal in his hand, no Keyblade. He looked at his hand as Chrom looked at him like he was insane.

"Okay, well I have to go help them. When you find your… weapon, come on out." Chrom said, taking off out the tent. Sora didn't actually hear him, his mind running at a hundred miles an hour, trying to understand how a weapon tied to his heart couldn't be with him. **What the hell is going on?**

His thoughts were interrupted by another scream just outside the tent. He rushed out to see Lucina, wounded and beaten but still protecting two young girls their age, with a large man towering over her in a dark red set of armor and a blue headband on his head, a large silver sword in his hand. A dark sneer was on the man's face as he stepped closer to the warrior princess.

"It's a shame that such a pretty flower must be cut down. Why don't I make you a deal?" He cupped Lucina's chin and lifted her face up to look at him, a grimace on her face. "If you step aside and let my boys have those girls, I'll leave your friends alive."

Lucina scoffed then bit the webbing between his thumb and index hard enough to draw blood. The bandit screamed and let her go, giving Lucina an opening to swing her own weapon at him, only have it blocked by the warrior. A hard blow to the stomach was her reward for trying to fight back. The warrior lifted his sword, preparing to deal the final blow and letting loose the down swing. But like he had done to Lucina, his weapon was effortlessly blocked by Sora.

Sora yelled as he pushed the man back, the large hero-class fighter stumbling back several steps. Sora had found a steel sword on a dead ruffian and, though it made him kind of sick to his stomach to use the weapon of a dead man, he had to save Lucina.

The man glared at him as Lucina and the women looked at him, shocked beyond words. Sora just stood there brandishing his weapon before dropping into his trademark stance. The women's confusion deepened as they watched him drop, but the man just roared and charged forward, sword above his head in both hands. Sora rushed forward almost too fast for them to see, slicing the man's belly in one fluid motion, colored leather being all that covered that area strangely.

The man felt the blade slide across his belly, realizing that it had been nothing more than a warning strike. "I'm sure you've realized how easily I could have killed you there. To be honest, I've never killed a man before." If you don't count the Heartless, Nobodies, XIII, and both forms of Ansem as men. "I'd rather avoid it if possible." Sora said, readying his sword for the second strike. One that came with a louder roar. Sora swung the sword behind himself, not bothering to turn as he deflected the attack. The man swung again, this time Sora turned and deflected the blade again, but stepped in and grabbed the man's arm before running his sword through the warriors' belly. "What is your name? No man should be buried without a name."

The man laughed, blood spraying from his lips. "You're too good for this. You won't live long in this hell."

"I asked your name, not your analysis." Sora snapped as he started pulling the sword from the man's stomach.

He groaned in pain, coughing up a mouthful of blood. "Chr… Christoff is my name." He lifted his sword, pushing it into Sora's free hand. "The blade I hold is special, boy. Its name is Rune. Take care of it… My father will never… let me hear… the end of it… if you… don't…"He gasped as Sora pulled the steel sword from the man. He started fall backwards, Sora helping him to the ground. He convulsed for a moment before his body went limp, the light in his still open eyes fading. Sora looked away before shutting Christoffs eyes for good. He hadn't realized that the fighting that had been going on around him had stopped, a few people gathering around him and the fallen fighter, one of which was Chrom, another a young, blue haired man with a hard looking swordsman beside him.

Chrom had a sullen look on his face as he knelt beside Sora, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Do you plan on given him a proper burial?" Sora simply nodded as he undid the leather that held Rune's scabbard to Christoffs waist. "Maybe you'd like some help?"

"I think that's and excellent idea, Chrom." said the blue haired man. He wore a purple and gold cloak with golden runes and lines, a sliver sword at his waist and a thick, yellow, leather tome in the opposite hand. He knelt on Sora's other side, offering his hand. Sora slowly took it. "I'm Marcus, the Shepherds personal tactician. It's nice to finally meet you Sora."

Lucina limped over to the men, the girls having run inside the first chance they had. "Are you an idiot, Sora?! You're wounded! There was no reason for you to get involved like that." She yelled, Sora immediately jumping to his feet at the outburst.

"I don't know or care what your problem with me is, but you need to back off! I helped you because if I hadn't, you'd be dead, or worse, you'd of been taken with those girls! I'm wounded, not dead, so I'm gonna do what I want to, especially if that means saving your scrawny ass!" He screamed back, no more than an inch from her face. He didn't care about the shock that went through everyone there as he turned, slid Rune into its scabbard, and picked Christoffs body off the ground as he began trudging to the edge of camp, grabbing a shovel on the way.

He was aware of the sound of three more sets of feet behind him, guessing they belonged to the three men from before. He kept walking until the sound of the people in camp began to fade out of earshot, laying the dead warrior's body on the ground. He stared at Christoff's face once more. He couldn't be much older than himself, maybe about twenty or twenty-one, his hair a light chestnut brown and badly cropped. He had one scar on his chin that ran down the front of his neck.

Sora sighed as he began stripping the warrior's armor off, his shovel next the body. He heard a shovel hit the dirt and looked over at the person at the end of it. His eyes widened as he saw Lucina lift a small mound of dirt with her spade, her father and Marcus helping. She only looked at him for a moment before returning to shoveling dirt. He pulled off Christoffs chestplate and set it on the ground beside him before he started shoveling alongside the other three.

They worked in silence for the most part until Chrom tried breaking ice. "So Sora, mind telling me how you learned to fight like that?" He said, looking up at the young boy.

Sora just shrugged and continued digging. "For the most part I learned on the job. When you've got evil little monsters after you, no matter where you go, and you've been forced to play a part in a war that has little to nothing to do with you, you pick things up." He said nonchalantly as he tried pulling himself out of the finished grave, grimacing at the sharp pain in his ribcage.

Marcus took his hand, helping him out of the hole, smiling at Chrom. "Now, why does that sound so familiar, old friend?" They both laughed at the inside joke, Sora being thoroughly confused. Lucina made no sound as she worked; only exhaling sharply as she tried pulling herself out.

Sora chuckled as he went over to her, offering a hand up. She merely narrowed her eyes and tried to get out on her own to no avail. Sora sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you like that, but my emotions were a bit haywire back there. Why don't we call a truce?" He held his hand out again, a small smirk on his face. She averted her eyes, a slight blush on her face before she took his hand.

"I'm sorry as well. I had no right to yell at you like that when you saved not only mine, but the lives of those girls. Thank you." She said, pulling herself out before nearly pulling Sora in. He jerked back to keep his balance, yanking Lucina on top of his chest. The light pink blush that had been on her face intensified, matching the deep red color of his cheeks. They scrambled to get away from each other, avoiding each other's gaze. It was hard to keep from blushing harder with Chrom and Marcus laughing even harder than before behind them. They started running as Lucina started throwing rocks at them, still laughing. They both ran back to camp, rocks flying at their heads.

Sora laughed as Lucina turned to glare at him. He just smirked and stuck his shovel in the ground, his smile disappearing as he looked at Christoff's body. He'd never killed a man before and seeing the face of the one he'd done in… It was different. Lucina walked up behind him, laying her hand on his shoulder gently. "It's never an easy thing to have to take a life. And it won't get better, but it does get easier to do." Sora layed his own hand over hers, giving it a slight squeeze before he bent down to pick up Christoff's body, laying the dead warrior in the grave before climbing out, with Lucina's help. Lucina handed him the sword he'd used to end Christoff. "I'll go and get Libra so he can give him his final rights." With a slight amount of hesitation, she took off for the camp, leaving the Keyblade user alone with the man he'd killed.

Sora stared down at the young man for a moment before picking his shovel back up and pouring dirt over him, the man having been allowed to wear all but his upper body armor into the afterlife. **Where ever that may be in this world, **he thought to himself as he continued shoveling the dirt into the hole.

The grave was about half full when Libra and Lucina showed back up, Chrom and Marcus with them, though they both sported some rather large bumps on their heads. Sora would have chuckled if his current job hadn't soured his mood. Libra walked up to him, a solemn expression on his face. "You're a good man for giving your enemy a proper burial, Sora. Naga will smile on you for this." He said as he picked up a shovel, chanting aloud in a language Sora couldn't understand, Marcus and Chrom doing so as well, minus the chanting, leaving the still wounded Lucina to supervise. The four men finished shoveling in the dirt as Libra finished his prayer.

"Well, I've worked up an appetite. Anyone wanna join me at the mess hall? Sumia told me she was going to be making one of her pies." Chrom said with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. He succeeded. Marcus shouted happily as Libra thanked Naga for Sumia's talent, Lucina joined in, just smiling and laughing as she followed the men back. Marcus stopped and looked back as he noticed that Sora was still standing next to the grave, the bloodstained sword in his hand.

The young Keyblade master-to-be stuck the sword into the ground just above where Christoffs head would be, placing his upper body armor piece on it, the hilt sticking through where the head would be. Sora stared at the blue headband he'd been wearing before tying it around his upper arm, before placing his hand on the top of the sword and turning around to the camp, coming face to face with the tactician. "I'm sure Lucina already gave you the 'it's never easy talk.'" Sora nodded, confused about Marcus's obvious concern for him. "She was right. It's never easy to do what you had to do today. But, I want you to think about this. You made sure those women could go home to their families today."

"But what about his? What about his family, Marcus?" Sora asked.

"Well, the way I see it, every man has a reason for what they do. If they see that reason as enough to die for, than you have nothing to regret. It's simply the path they've chosen to walk."

Sora's shoulders slumped a bit as a few tears began to fall. Marcus clapped his hand over the boy's shoulder and he looked at him, his bright blue eyes sad, scared, and… lonely. A smile came to the tacticians face. "Lucina was right."

"What?"

"Nothing. Let's get to the mess hall. You look like you could use a good slice of pie and Chrom's wife makes the best you'll ever taste." Marcus said, wrapping his arm around Sora's shoulders and leading him back to camp.

Sora smiled lightly as he was led away from the burial site. They laughed and talked the whole way back as the same words kept playing in his head. _You're too good for this. You won't live long in this hell._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three guys! Wow, it's kinda fucked up that I never actually made it to this point with any of my stories. Speaking of which, I am working on chapter two of my DBTLR fanfic, but I'm also tossing around the idea of taking it down. I'm also working on chapter three of my Shaman King fic, chapter two of my Frozen/Tangled fic, and chapter one of my Goofy Movie fic. Jesus, I got a lot of work to do. By the way, this set just before the Shepherds move to attack Valm and just after Validar tried to kill them in the canyon, literally the mission after they find out who Lucina is. Also, I have never played Kingdom Hearts 3D. A good portion of what I know of the recent story is from the KH Wiki.

Sora: **A bit over-extended, are we?**

Ben: … *snaps his fingers* Hey Sora, what's that behind you?

Sora: ***Turns around* Is that the Grand Canyon?**

Ben: *Kicks him over the edge* Onto the story!

The light of dawn flooded the camp, glinting off the armor of Frederick the Wary as he surveyed the camp. Chrom had given him orders to make sure all the Shepherds were awake by dawn for morning training. A loud yawn came from his wife, Maribelle, as she walked out of their tent. "Dear, do we really need to wake up so early? Naga is still asleep right now."

"The early bird catches the worm, my love. I'm going to begin waking everyone so you can go on to the mess hall and eat some breakfast. I'll join you in a bit." The knight said, kissing the Valkyrie before walking down the line of tents waking everyone. The only two he had trouble waking were Lissa and Marcus. Lissa woke first, scrambling to find her clothing after their activities the night before. Marcus just snored loudly, not budging. Frederick sighed lightly. "Milady, would you please step outside for a moment?" Lissa glared at him as she pulled her dress on, pulling her boots on as she walked out of the tent. She jumped when she heard Marcus yelp and run of the tent, soaking wet and still nude.

"Cold, cold! So cold!" He yelled, freezing for a moment as everyone started laughing at him. Lissa giggled and handed him a piece of leather, the tactician quickly covering himself as he glared daggers at the smirking knight. "Why would you do that?!"

"It seemed the best idea to wake you, my friend." He chuckled as he tossed Marcus his robes and breeches, his smile fading. "Lord Chrom has requested that all present be in attendance for morning training. We must be ready for when we attack Valm."

Marcus only nodded as he pulled his breeches on, robes coming after. "Lissa, I'm gonna help Frederick. Go on and eat." He said, giving her a quick kiss.

She returned the kiss and hugged him, smiling as she tried to put a frog down the back of his robe, screaming as a cold sensation ran down her back. She jumped back to see Marcus laughing, holding a wooden cup in his hand. "That is so not fair!" she pouted.

"All's fair in love and war, my dear." he said, kissing her again, deeper this time as she giggled.

She pulled back, smiling and holding one hand. "Love you."

Marcus smiled back. "Love you more." He let go of her hand as she walked to the mess tent. Marcus turned to a grinning Frederick. "What?"

"Nothing, Marcus. Let us be on our way." he said as he started walking, opening the flaps of the tents and waking everyone.

Marcus started on the opposite side, waking everyone in the same fashion until he got to Lucina's tent at the end. He opened the tent to see the princess already dressed and ready, her practice sword and Parallel Falchion in hand and on her waist. She looked over at the tactician. "Can I help you, Marcus?" Her face was expressionless as she regarded him. "Are you here to ask me to spar with you for the day?"

Marcus smirked lightly as an idea began to hatch in his head. "Oh, no, but there is something you can do for me." Lucina looked at him strangely. "You see, Lissa wanted me to join her for breakfast, but I had to help Frederick. You know how your aunt can be when she doesn't get her way." Lucina nodded, still looking at him suspiciously. "Well, I was wondering if you'd finish my rounds for me. Sora's the only one left to wake up. Bye." He ran out of the tent as Lucina started throwing things at him.

"You snake in the grass!" she yelled as she ran out of the tent, seeing that he was already halfway down the tent line. The young princess sighed as she turned to walk down the path to the medical tent. She began to think about why she was so angry about this. It wasn't that she didn't like Sora. She didn't know him. She just felt… Strange around him. She didn't know how to act or how to react with him. She shook her head. **Enough. Just wake him up and walk away. **

She pushed the flap of the tent open, seeing a heap on the bed. "Sora, wake up. My father wants-"

"For what?" He said, rolling over to look at her, his brilliant blue eyes locking onto her brown ones. An involuntary shiver ran down her spine as she looked at him. He smiled at her. "Ya know, I don't think we're gonna get anything done if we keep staring at each other."

Her eyes widened a bit as her face flushed dark red. She scowled at him before picking up a set of leather armor Chrom had left the night before and tossing it at him. "Morning training. Now." She stormed out of the tent, her face still dark red. She made her way to the training grounds, trying to ignore Sora's chuckling behind her. She turned back to see him slipping the leather over his bare upper body. She hadn't gotten a very good look while they were healing him because she kept herself turned away, but now she had to admit, he was a bit impressive.

His body wasn't heavily muscled like most of the men around camp, but it was easy to see the power in his structure. He was lean, but not skinny, his shoulders not very far apart but squared off in a masculine structure. He was about as tall as Inigo, who practically towered over the princess. His chocolate brown hair was untamed and stuck up in spikes everywhere, this, coupled with his handsome face, gave him a boyish look with the body of a strong young man. Wait.

**Did I just think of him as handsome? **She almost violently shook her head, trying to dislodge the thought before it took root. She wasn't thinking this, she couldn't be thinking this.

Sora just stood behind her and raised an eyebrow. A young man with ruddy red hair walked by him. He'd learned the night before his name was Inigo. "Hey, Inigo, is she okay?" he said, pointing at the young woman.

Inigo just laughed. "Oh yeah, she's fine. She just does that sometimes when she starts thinking about something she doesn't like." Sora shrugged lightly, pulling the armor over his right shoulder, groaning loudly as a jolt of pain ran through him. His legs began to give out from under him, Inigo having to catch him. Lucina looked back, running to help the boys as Inigo sat Sora down. "Maybe we should tell your old man Sora isn't up to training yet."

"I think you're right, Inigo. Let's get him back to the-"

"No. I'm okay. Just help me stand up." Sora said, gritting his teeth as he tried to find his footing. Inigo looked at him like he was insane, but helped him anyway, letting his weight weigh on his shoulder. Lucina didn't know what to say or think. The wound couldn't be healed properly, even with their most powerful staves in the hands of their most experienced healers and yet he refused to let it slow him down. Inigo tried to help him walk to the training, but Sora refused the help, pushing himself away as he walked.

Lucina came up behind him and wrapped her arm around his, supporting his right side. "You will say nothing." The look on her face had the Keyblade user wishing he hadn't been born male, but the cute blush on her face also helped him to get a smile back on his face. They walked like that up to the training grounds, Lucina unable to meet anyone's gaze and Sora almost unable to keep from laughing. If he weren't border line terrified of the young woman on his arm, he would be.

To make matters worse, Sumia had seen the two and ran to get Chrom, unbelievably happy to see her daughter with someone. Lucina never noticed her father coming up behind them, but Sora did. "Don't look now, but your dad is behind us."

"What?!" Lucina turned around quickly, her elbow hitting the poor boy in his ribs, just above his scar. He yelped in pain and doubled over, everyone in the area rushing to his side. He'd become pretty popular after saving Lucina.

"Gods, Lucina, I was just coming to ask if anything was going on. You didn't need to immobilize the poor boy." Chrom said, a light chuckle in his voice as he helped Sora to his feet. "Maybe you should rest some more, Sora. I don't think you're ready to be out here with us."

"What is with you people? I've been worse off than this. I want to be here. Now, will someone get me a practice sword?!" Sora yelled, pain and annoyance driving his temper through the roof. Chrom stared wide eyed at the boy as did most of the people in attendance.

Chrom smiled at him after a few seconds. "Lon qu, toss me a sword for our friend." The hardened swordsman just grunted and tossed a wooden sword to Chrom, who in turn handed the sword to Sora. Sora reached for the blade only to have it pulled away at the last second. "You can train on one condition. You have to be able to keep up with one person of your choice in here for a full rotation. Deal?"

Lucina swallowed lightly, praying to Naga that Sora said no. "Deal."

**Are you not listening or something, woman?!** Lucina thought angrily. "Sora, you're wounded. You're gonna get hurt more. Please, just go back to the tent." she pleaded.

Sora ignored her plea, searching around the room. He wanted a challenge, but he didn't want to be beat down either. He knew he wasn't at one hundred percent, but he wasn't going to just sit on his butt and wait to heal either. He looked around the room, searching each person. His gaze stopped on Marcus for a moment, but figured that the tactician was much more experienced than him. His gaze flicked over to Lucina. He didn't like the idea of facing a girl. Finally, he came to one last person. "I choose you, Chrom."

Lucina's eyes widened in disbelief as the Shepherds began to step back from the two. Chrom smiled and drew his own practice sword, readying himself. "I hope you're ready, Sora." Sora started to think that choosing Chrom was a bad idea as he dropped into his usual stance. Before he had time to even tighten his grip, Chrom rushed him, swinging downward. Sora backpedaled and rushed forward, swinging outward. Chrom deflected the strike and jumped into the air, somersaulting midair and bringing the sword down. Sora was just barely fast enough to stop the attack. **Damn it! It feels like I'm fighting Cloud again! **He didn't have time to keep going with his inner monologue as Chrom twisted around, bringing his boot into Sora's chest. The strike reminded him of the test in Radiant Garden, but this kick hurt so much more. Blood and spit shot from his mouth as he was lifted off his feet, hitting the ground a few feet back.

Chrom resheathed his weapon. "Lucina, Frederick, Donny, take him back to the medical-"

"No!" Sora yelled as he stood back up. "I can keep going." He presented the sword to Chrom, dropping his stance again.

Lucina stepped in front of Sora. "Sora, no one is going to think any different of you. Please, stop this. My father is a master swordsman. You're going to get hurt."

Chrom chuckled, pulling the sword free again. "I can say this much, you're dedicated." Sora rushed forward with a new level of speed, easily stepping around Lucina, his speed closer to what he'd been using when he fought Chistroff. Chrom had little time to deflect the initial strike before the second came, catching the exalt in the shoulder. He stepped back, slashing upward at Sora only to have the blow deflected to the side, the Keyblade user stepping in and bringing the point of the sword to the underside of Chrom's chin.

"Looks like this round is mine, Your Highness. " Sora said, a large smile on his face.

Chrom just laughed. "Check again, playboy." Sora looked at him confused before he felt a tight grip on his sword arm. He looked to see Chrom's hand wrapped around his wrist and his sword point against his stomach at an upward angle. "We'll call this a draw, deal?"

Sora hung his head, stepping back and sheathing his sword. "Thank you for the match, sir."

Chrom patted his shoulder. "Don't be discouraged, Sora. You did better than Marcus in his first match. I'm honestly surprised. And I have a proposal for you."

Lucina just rolled her eyes and rubbed her temples, a migraine beginning to form as Sora looked at Chrom suspiciously. "What kind of proposal?"

"I actually meant to talk to you about this last night after you saved Lucina. I think that what you did and the display of raw talent you just gave us solidifies my choice. Now, I think I speak for everyone here when I ask you, Sora, if you would like to join our ranks as a Shepherd?" Chrom smiled at the awestruck boy as everything grew quiet.

"Chrom, I just crashed here four days ago. I have no idea what's going on or how I'm going to get home for my best friend's wedding. If I don't get back, Riku will kick seven shades of shit out of me and Kairi will take my manhood and put it on display." All men present groaned in unison, especially Virion and Inigo. "So what I have to say is… Why not? I'll join up if you help me find a way home."

"We'll do that and more, my friend. Welcome to the Shepherds, Sora." Everyone began cheering loudly as they ran forward to hug their newest member, all except Maribelle and Frederick. Not because they disliked him, but they didn't know if they could trust him. But they did rush forward when Sora cried out in pain. Chrom laughed as everyone backed up. "Maybe you should rest _now, _huh? How about tonight at dinner, you tell us your story, eh?" Sora merely nodded, finding it hard to catch his breath. Lucina took his arm again, helping him to get to his feet.

"I'm gonna get him back to the tent. I'll be back."

"Actually, Lucina, I think you should stay at the tent with him." Marcus finally spoke up, stepping out of the crowd. "You were wounded as well. You need time to recuperate."

Lucina stared at him for a moment before nodding and helping Sora along slowly. "Have our breakfast brought to us, please."

Chrom yelled to her that he would, then he turned to his tactician. "Playing matchmaker again, Marcus?" Marcus only smiled at the young man. Chrom was in no smiling mood though. "Keep in mind, if my daughter gets hurt, I will hold you responsible." Chrom said menacingly low as he walked by his friend. Marcus just kept smiling as he watched the princess walk with the Keyblade user.

It took a bit to get to the tent and when they did, Lucina helped Sora to lie down. She noticed that he had bags under his eyes. **Were those there before? **"Sora, did you sleep last night?"

Sora shifted uncomfortably on the cot, unsure of how to answer. "Lucina, you've… you've killed men before, haven't you?" The young woman was taken aback by this, but she nodded. "Do they haunt you? Do you see their faces when you close your eyes? All night, while I was trying to sleep, all I could see was Chistoff's face. I couldn't get it out of my mind. I couldn't sleep at all."

Lucina merely stared at the boy, but after a few moments of silence, she finally answered. "Some nights are better than others. As I told you yesterday, it's never easy, but it does get easier. As Shepherds… as warriors, it is a burden we must carry." She smiled up at him lightly, patting his hand. "I'll uh, I'll let you sleep. I'm strong enough to stay in my tent."

As she got up to leave, she felt Sora's fingers curl around her hand, holding her in place, but not hard enough to hurt her. "Ya know, it's not good for you to bottle up everything." She just stared at him, confused. "I can see it in your eyes. You think you need to keep it all in; that you need to deal with your problems alone. You need to trust the people who love you to help carry that burden. Just sitting down and talking about what is wrong can make it easier to carry." His voice was clear and strong, his eyes kind as a lopsided smile stretched across his face.

Lucina's face flushed a light red color, unable to tear her eyes from his. She wanted to pull her hand away and run. She wanted to go back to her tent and curl up in bed, but she couldn't. She simply couldn't. She kept ahold of his hand as she sat in the cot next to his. She didn't notice the little smile on her face. "Well, what do you want to talk about?" she asked.

He smiled as he asked her about what she would be willing to talk about, which led to a conversation of the hellscape that was her world, how the dead roamed and an evil god threatened to destroy all. They talked about her parents, what little bit of a childhood she'd had and how much fun Cynthia could be, even when she was bouncing off the wall. She talked about how she'd always dreamt of a world where there was no fighting, no war. Just peace. Maybe somewhere she could relax and have fun like a normal teen her age, even if she was royalty. Something about how she said that reminded him of a conversation he'd had with his mother. About how he was supposed to be the next in line for a throne in a different world. Then the description of the world she wanted to see.

"Hey, that sounds a lot like where I grew up til I was about fourteen." She looked at him strangely. He just laughed as a young boy, Ricken, if he remembered correctly, brought them their food. "Thanks, bud." Ricken nodded and bowed out of the tent. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, home. Destiny Islands. Everywhere you look, there's beautiful, clear ocean you can almost see to the bottom of and white, sandy beaches that are always warm. It's so peaceful there you can just sleep the day away most of the time and no one would notice."

"I'd like to see your 'Destiny Islands' then, Sora. It sounds amazing." Lucina said dreamily as she sat back up.

Sora smiled more as he sat up as well, a bit slower. "It is. I just wish I could have protected it better when I was a kid… Let's eat. The foods getting cold." He said as he tore into his breakfast, his stomach rumbling violently. Lucina giggled as she began eating as well, showing a bit of restraint. Sora looked over at her. "Ya know, you should smile more often. You look cuter like that." She blushed brightly and glared at him. He only put his hands up in defense. They both laughed as they finished their food.

"Alright, I've talked on and on about myself, but you haven't really said anything, Sora." Lucina said as she drank her juice.

Sora choked a bit on his juice as he set the glass down. "Uh uh, we're talking about you here. I'm sure the others will drag plenty out of me at dinner." He looked over at her to see her giving the cutest pout he'd ever seen. "Now, that's not fair." She didn't let up. Lissa had trained her well. Sora finally sighed. "Okay, fine, just quit the pouty face, please?" Lucina smiled and lied back in her cot as she waited for Sora to start. "Well, what do you wanna hear?"

"Why not start at the beginning? Give me a good idea of how this Sora came to be." Lucina said, looking over at the Keyblader.

"The beginning huh? Well, my father met my mom, they hit off, then they hopped in bed and-" He quickly silenced by a pillow to the nose.

"You know what I meant."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, I grew up on Destiny Island with my two best friends, Riku and Kairi. We spent every chance we had together. My mother, Garnet, was like a mother to them as well, making sure they were always taken care of. Riku, well, he's an orphan. He never knew either of his parents. Kairi is too. She was kind of adopted by the mayor, but at the same time she bounced from house to house, normally ending up in ours…" He went on like this for a while, talking about his friends and what they did at school normally, as well as explaining the finer points of blitz ball to her, which she understood the rules, but not the tech. He finally gave up, saying he'd show her if he ever took her to Destiny Islands.

He went on to talk about the attack on Destiny Island by the Heartless, surprisingly not having to explain very deeply how they were created or how they were destroyed. He talked about the many friends he'd made along the way in his journey, mainly Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey, as well as the many enemies, like Ansem and Maleficent. It took a bit to explain how people like him and Donald could use magic without a tome, but he did it. He also promised to show her when he was feeling a bit better (or when she'd let him out of bed). Then he began to talk about the incident at Castle Oblivion and how he was tricked by Namine and the Organization. He talked a little about Roxas, not really sure about what to say.

He got into the battle with the Nobodies and who the Organization were. He kept talking about it until he finally got to the Battle of The Thousand Heartless. He stopped there, unsure of how to proceed. **I can't tell her about that. She'll think I'm some sort of monster. **"Sora?" He looked up at her, a concerned look on her face. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just… it's a bad memory." He said, smiling reassuringly.

She smiled back, squeezing his hand lightly. "We can stop here for now if you'd like. But I do expect the rest of that story sometime. Understood?"

He gave a mock salute. "Yes ma'am."

She giggled again as she looked at the thin wall of the tent, noticing the sun was setting. "By the gods, have we really been talking for that long?" As if to answer her question, Lissa poked her head in and said dinner was ready, looking at their joined hands and smiling. They both pulled their hands away, their faces dark with embarrassment. "Well, um, I'll, uh, help you to dinner."

"Uh, yeah, thanks. Hey, Lucina?"

She had stood up by then, trying to find a crutch for him. She looked back to see him standing up slowly. "Sora, sit back down. I'm trying to find you a crutch so-" She gasped audibly as he hugged her.

"Thank you, for caring enough to worry about me."

She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him, placing her face against the dip between his collar bone and shoulder. "And thank you, for listening."

They pulled away from each other, not really caring about the blush on their faces. Sora smiled down at her and she smiled up at him. He finally reached behind her and grabbed a crutch, starting for the door only to hold it open for her. She curtsied and walked through, Sora close behind as they made their way to the mess hall. Sora thought about what he was going to say, but decided not to worry about it. Lucina just smiled at him as they walked and Sora was having a hard time not staring as she walked in front of him. **Man, she's something in this light. Wait. What?**

**Sora and Lucina's relationship has leveled up to level C.**

Jesus, that was long. Well, you know the drill. And I was given some really good ideas by one of my readers and will say this now. I may make a secondary story to this. It will basically be the same with Sora crash landing in Ylisse, but… Well, you'll find out. This Benkei Urahara, signing out! See ya next round! And yes, I realize that these past two chapters seem rushed. They kind of are. A lot has been going on and I have no idea when I'll really have time to sit down and work on my stories again so give me a bit of wiggle room.


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